t fourpence halfpenny, you may prepare sufficient cocoa for the
breakfasts of four persons. This would be much wholesomer and cheaper
than tea. To be sure, it would take some trouble and care to prepare it,
and this should be attended to over-night.

ECONOMICAL AND SUBSTANTIAL SOUP FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE POOR.

I am well aware, from my own experience, that the charitable custom of
distributing wholesome and nutritious soup to poor families living in
the immediate neighbourhood of noblemen and gentlemen's mansions in the
country, already exists to a great extent; yet, it is certainly
desirable that this excellent practice should become more generally
adopted, especially during the winter months, when their scanty means of
subsistence but insufficiently yield them food adequate in quantity to
sustain the powers of life in a condition equal to their hard labour. To
afford the industrious well-deserving poor a little assistance in this
way, would call forth their gratitude to the givers, and confer a
blessing on the needy. The want of knowing how to properly prepare the
kind of soup best adapted to the purpose has, no doubt, in a great
measure, militated against its being more generally bestowed throughout
the kingdom; and it is in order to supply that deficient knowledge, that
I have determined on giving easy instructions for its preparation.

No. 239. HOW TO PREPARE A LARGE QUANTITY OF GOOD SOUP FOR THE POOR.

It is customary with most large families, while living in the country,
to kill at least some portion of the meat consumed in their households;
and without supposing for a moment that any portion of this is ever
wasted, I may be allowed to suggest that certain parts, such as sheep's
heads, plucks, shanks, and scrag-ends, might very well be spared towards
making a good mess of soup for the poor. The bones left from cooked
joints, first baked in a brisk oven for a quarter of an hour, and
afterwards boiled in a large copper of water for six hours, would
readily prepare a gelatinized foundation broth for the soup; the bones,
when sufficiently boiled, to be taken out. And thus, supposing that your
copper is already part filled with the broth made from bones (all the
grease having been removed from the surface), add any meat you may have,
cut up in pieces of about four ounces weight, garnish plentifully with
carrots, celery, onions, some thyme, and ground allspice, well-soaked
split peas, barley, or rice; and,